Misconceptions pt. 19
John pulled the cell from his ear, and placed it gently on Michael's desk. He stared at the hardware intently. She was running, pushing him away, and despite the gravity of the situation a small part of him was happy for that. It meant that she was afraid for him. That when she had absently blurted her love, she was telling the truth. He leaned back into his chair and realized that he wanted her to mean it, which made him more confused than ever.
Only what if he were lying to himself? What if she just wanted him out of her business, and it didn't have anything to do with protecting him? Those insecurities echoed strongly in his mind, but his heart just couldn't believe it.
His hand pushed away the hair that fell over his eyes, and he sighed, concentrating. She wouldn't call him, of that he was absolutely certain. So where was she? Her brother was with her and they had the computer. They would be looking for someone to dissect the machine. He could start there. Or he could go downstairs and put some more pressure on Max. There were answers there as well. He refocussed on the phone.
...I don't concern you anymore...
The door to the office opened and he lifted his gaze, frowning slightly. He watched his mother step over the threshold and seal them inside. Her stance was rigid, and her expression was one of determination. He sighed again. "I don't have time for this."
"Make time," she countered, crossing her slender arms over her chest. "I'm not your father, John. He's afraid to deal with you because there could be repercussions." She paused for a second, glaring hard. "I don't have that problem."
John stood, feeling amazingly calm under the circumstances. "Let me stop you right there." He turned and sat on the edge of the desk, holding her steady gaze. "I'm in the middle of an investigation." She opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head vehemently. "No, it's my turn to talk, mom."
Eve didn't like his tone, but she let him continue. At least he was talking.
"I don't have time to discuss my feelings, because there's an innocent woman out there right now and she's on the run. She's being attacked from all-sides. Do you get that? This isn't about me, it's about her. It's about the law. I have a job to do, so let me damn well do it before something terrible happens to her!"
She continued to look at the man across from her, and felt a small tremor slide up her spine. The situation with Buchanan was far worse than she ever realized. "You're in love with her."
He stood sharply, completely thrown by her words. "Haven't you heard what I've been saying to you?" His heart was pounding against his ribs.
"Are you out of your mind?"
He moved away, reversing positions with her. She sank onto the desk, and he stood with his back to the door. "You don't know anything about what is really going on here." How is it, that he found himself being the interrogatee in this conversation?
"John, honey, this is not going to end well for you. No matter what happens with this case..." Her heart was aching for her boy. He was frowning and fighting her with every movement he made, every breath. "Even if you save Natalie from these charges, if she's found innocent? Then what? You marry her? Start a family and a life together? Do you really see that happening between you?"
He sneered, and shifted his gaze around the room. This entire conversation was ridiculous! He stared at the phone on Michael's desktop. "You don't know what you're talking about." He finally met her eyes again. The disappointment staring back, brought his frustration roaring to the surface.
"You know, from the moment I stepped into town I've been hit with theory after theory on this case. On Natalie." He stepped closer, refusing to give an inch on this. He was done being pushed around by everyone else. "I've been told that I've been unprofessional and have jeopardized this investigation. That my emotions are clouding my judgement and I let a suspect use me to get away with 30 million dollars. That I've been blind to the truth. Well, I'm sick of it!" He moved closer and leaned forward, grabbing the phone from behind her. He could see that he had her undivided attention as he loomed. "Since I've been in Llanview, I've been dismissed and treated like an unwanted rash. I've been saddled with an ass of a partner so that he could monitor my every move and report back on it. I've been given grief over every decision, every protest or opinion that didn't go along with the mighty LPD. My family has practically been counting the minutes until I leave again, and my own father didn't want me anywhere near his birthday."
"That's not fair!"
"Well who said life is fair!" He couldn't stop the words from coming. "If it were, I wouldn't be part of a family that was embarassed by my existence. Or I wouldn't have a father who hates me for joining the bureau!"
"He doesn't..."
"Save it!" he barked, standing with his hands on his hips.
Eve stood and faced her son's wrath head on. "Don't get all high-and-mighty with me, John McBain! You're not exactly innocent in the mess that surrounds this family!"
He grinned and moved away. "No." Then he turned his attention back to where it belonged. "But you know, there's been one person who's actually been honest with me since I got here, even though she had every reason not to be. One person who's had my back, and has taken the time to listen to what I've had to say, only one. She's out there somewhere being hunted by an entire police force, who've all but written her off." His eyes narrowed. "There's no way I'm going to turn on her. Not for you or anyone else." He watched his words sink in, and he opened the door. "Oh!" he said suddenly, facing her for the last time. "I don't care who you're married too, don't interfere in my investigation again." He walked out and slammed the door behind him.
Eve released the breath that she was holding. That tirade had taken her by complete surprise. It wasn't like John to lose his temper, or his cool. That's why he was so good at his job. He could control his emotions and see things with an analytical mind, but now he was all over the map, and she didn't know what to do about it? Her son was in love with a wanted fugitive. Her son was in love.
She slowly stood from the desk and walked to the door. She would talk to Thomas and they would figure this out together. About John and the case, and everything. Her legs carried her across the crowded squad room. She replayed his angry words over in her mind, and swallowed. God help her, her son was in love.
"You know, I never actually believed that you'd be stupid enough to show up here," Cameron couldn't lose the grin, "but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about you, Natalie."
She stared at him. "What does that mean?"
He got serious. "I know that Max Carpenter beat you up in this alley."
"I told you that." She frowned. "What made you grow a brain?"
He was grinning again. "Your boyfriend."
"Shouldn't you be arresting me?"
He nodded, pulling a pair of handcuffs off his belt and holding them loosely. "Yes. Does this mean you're going to come quietly?"
Now she grinned, holding out her wrists. "There are worse things than getting handcuffed, right?" She stared, watching him closely as he reached out and clasped one cold bracelet over her skin.
He stopped what he was doing for a moment, wanting an answer from her. "Why did you come back here?" She shrugged, but he pushed. "Why, Natalie? Why here at this dive? You're a Buchanan. You could have whisked away in one of your grand-daddy's jets, never to be seen again?"
She felt her heart pumping evenly in her breast. "Maybe I didn't want to disappear? Maybe being seen by...someone is more important?"
He took hold of her slender wrist and pulled a little, ready to lock the other bracelet tightly. "I hope he was worth it too you, but you should have taken the money."
She heard his words and her anger clicked into place in an instant. Without thinking, she swung hard and fast, hitting the detective with her fist. It was a hard enough blow to send him crashing against the brick wall. She lifted her knee and slammed it into his gut and then his face as he bent over. Her breath was loud and it pounded in her ears, making it hard to notice anything else. When he fell to the ground she turned and ran, faster than she knew she could. He shouted from behind, but she kept going, racing through the neighborhood that she had spent a lot of time in.
There were a ton of sirens now, but she would keep going until she had nowhere else to go. That was all she could do. Her legs carried her around corners, and her muscles felt like they would give out, but she continued to run. She stopped short at the highway, staring across the busy street, and then grinned widely. She sprinted through the traffic, and slipped into the entrance doors of the Llanview Mall. It was Saturday, so crowds of people moved freely around the building, and she grinned again. Soon she was merely a non-descript face in a crowd.
The glass door opened easily enough, and she felt herself finally begin to relax when the bolt lock clicked into place at her back. She walked behind the counter and turned the thermostat, sighing as she made her way down the familiar winding metal staircase. Rex was glaring at her from below, but she smiled anyway. "Hey, little brother."
"You almost got nabbed, Natalie! I mean, damn it! You shouldn't have gone anywhere with the entire city looking for you!"
"Wait." She blinked, continuing her descent. "How do you know that I was almost arrested?"
He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? I'm hanging out in nerd headquarters."
"Hey, watch it Balsom," Jack shouted, defensively.
Rex ignored him. His concern right now was his lunatic sister. "What the hell were you thinking? Where did you go?" He looked over her shoulder. "And where's McBain?"
She frowned. "How the hell do I know where he is?" she snapped, brushing past him. She saw the quartet hard at work in front of some screens. "So? What'd I miss? Get anything from the computer yet?"
Rex walked around and situated himself between her and her line of sight. "Oh no. I asked you first."
Natalie was mad, and she felt a headache coming on. "John is probably at the station, trying to help his family arrest me. It's his job. Now what about the damn computer?"
"Nothing yet." He stared, noticing how pale she looked. "Are you okay, Nat? You hungry?"
Her hands were on her hips. "I'm fine, alright." She didn't feel fine though. She felt strange, weak even. "Have you found anything or not?" Her brother shook his head, and she sighed, wiping away the loose hair from her face.
Rex was worried. She looked...well, she looked drunk. "Nat?" He watched her sway for a brief moment, before succumbing to her exhaustion. Then he was grabbing hold of her before she fell to the floor. "Natalie!" he shouted, shaking her slightly.
She blinked once, and then again. Her head was hurting, but the weakness in her muscles seemed to pass. "I told you I'm fine." She stood straight.
"You almost fainted."
"I'm just tired, okay? It's been a long week, and an even longer couple of days."
His eyes narrowed. "That's it, you're getting some rest. End of discussion."
"I'm fi..."
"Stop saying that!" He took her arm and lead her to a nearby room.
She stared through the door. Inside the narrow space was a makeshift kitchen. A microwave and table, and a mustard yellow sofa against the wall. It was worn.
Rex waited for her to look at him before speaking. "Just lay down and sleep for a couple of hours. When was the last time you slept? Do you even remember?" She was going to speak, but changed her mind. "Just a nap, Natalie. You passing out isn't going to help."
She glanced back into the room and stared at the sofa again. Sleep was something she could definitely use. Especially if she wanted to be sharp. "Alright," she finally conceded, "but only for a little while." She walked into the room and slipped off the shoes from her feet. God, that felt good. Her hands loosened, and she put a pen and a crumpled piece of paper on the nearby table. She turned to her brother, but he was already gone.
Rubbing her eyes, she yawned, sinking into the well-used cushion of the piece of furniture. She closed her eyes and thought about her afternoon, and the pulse in her brain became more acute. Her breathing eventually evened out, and she let herself fall into slumber, dreaming about blue eyes and a velvet voice.
John stood in the hallway and leaned against the cold blue cement for support. He was tired. This wasn't the first time he's gone for days with no sleep, and it wouldn't be the last, but it was still taking a toll. He needed to find some answers, and he needed to find Natalie. She was out there somewhere, and he was here, feeling very useless at this exact moment.
His pocket began to ring, and he held a quick breath, staring at the material in surprise. His hand slipped inside, and pulled out the cell that was coming to life in his hand. No one had this number. No one but Natalie. He slowly opened it and put it to his ear. "McBain."
...I knew it...
John stared at the phone for a second. What the hell? "Who is this?" he asked, beginning to feel very anxious indeed. He listened carefully to the voice at the other end. Then he hung up and looked at the cell again. Without a word to anyone, he slipped outside of the station and into the parking lot. He walked past his car and rounded the nearest corner, leaving everything behind. He disappeared altogether.